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On Friday morning, friend Jamie Aarons began her attempt on the record for a wholly self propelled Munro round.
#jamiesmunrochallenge
jamiesmunrochallenge.run
The existing record for the full 282 summits is 31 days, set by ultra running legend, Donnie Campbell. Self propelled here means that Jamie will run, walk, use road and mountain bikes plus kayak across lochs and out to islands under her own steam. Naturally, there is a large logistical team, feeding, watering, buddying and bullying Jamie around the Highlands; many well kent faces from ultra running and biking are putting their time into the support network and their blood into the midgies.
The tracking is proving to be a bit iffy, despite having three units with her throughout the adventure. Feel free to follow, even to contribute to her charitable endeavours.
Earlier today, she had made it into Glen Creran, having begun with Ben More Mull on Friday, on to Glenfinnan and then the Mamores, Ballachuilish and down into Argyll. Next will be northeast, heading for the south side of Glencoe.
This sounds ace. Good luck to her!
Is there a dot to follow even if it’s a bit sketchy?
Stunning morning in the Highlands and Jamie is just heading up onto the Aonach Eagach ridge, having completed the south Glencoe ridge yesterday evening.
Good luck to her - sounds amazing.
The Route: 1500m of both running and cycling and 140,000m of ascent.
Either that's an awful lot of ascent, or not much distance...
Pedantics aside, AWESOME.
Either that’s an awful lot of ascent, or not much distance
She's American, so likely confused by metrification... 1500 miles and 140,000 metres ascent
Yes, miles; although some estimates put the circuit at over 2000 miles. We'll know better in around four weeks' time...
I'm really looking forward to my couple of wee support sessions, next week and the one after. Tricky to plan for to make sure to be in the right place at the right time!
Wednesday morning update: Jamie is just heading up onto Ben Lomond via the Ptarmigan ridge now, having paddled over from the Arrochar side earlier. 45 Munros in the bag so far over 4.5 days for her and the World Bicycle relief contributions still rising too.
It'll be the 7 south Crianlarich hills this afternoon after taking the kayak back across again and a wee road ride up the A82. Then Tyndrum to Ben Lui is next and perhaps a wee wave to any passing HT550 folk.
There are some dedicated & driven people in the world - this is ace. Good luck to her!
I'm not far from her today then.....warm day for it!! Just the 1 0 Munros for me today.... apparently Beinn an Lochain has been downgraded!
The photos from last night are simply stunning, although I've no idea when she's managing to sleep. I hope she's resting in the heat of the day and making the most of the twilight on the high tops; certainly did last night up on Beinn Ime in the gloaming, above an inversion...
Seven more summits overnight, Jamie is just arriving at the roadside below Ben Mor Crianlarich; Ben Lui group west of Tyndrum next this morning.
She's sleeping in the heat of the afternoons and running / riding in the evening and overnight.
Awesome.
Amazing. 9 Munros in a day is insane. Averaging that is just bonkers.
Today is day 12 and Jamie is out to the west of Glenshee, zigzagging eastwards after having bivvied at the Falls of Tarff last night for a few hours. It's a lengthy list of summits planned for today but by the time she gets to the Cairnwell, that'll be Munro number 100 since a week ago Friday. Yesterday I rode escort duties from below Schiehallion across via the Tummel valley to Blair Atholl and up to the foot of Carn Liath, the first top of Beinn a Ghlo. She's very, very tired but surprisingly positive and after a big plate of chicken, pasta and vegetables at the support van, looked a lot brighter. The sunburn has been brutal though.
The plan is to bike from Carn a Gheoidh to Cairnwell, Carn Aosda and down to the road, but by an easier route than the one used by the SDA downhillers at the weekend..
Tonight, Jamie summited her 101st munro in just 12 days, now just above the Glenshee ski centre and then biked down to the van for a few hours of well earned sleep. In doing so, she has also raised £6000 for World Bicycle Relief so far, 100% of her original target and enough funds to provide 50 bikes in their programmes.
Please consider adding to the total and giving her a boost for when she sets off eastwards at first light.
jamiesmunrochallenge.run
After the monstrous 14 summits yesterday, Jamie is now in the northern Cairngorms, working gradually westwards in a big zig zag route, right now starting her descent to the Fords of Avon , before climbing again to Bynack Mor.
When the crossing of the western plateau is complete, she's planning on biking down the Stalkers'path descent into Glen Feshie, a superb ride that's well known to many. That'll probably be around sunset tomorrow...
Jamie crossed over the Grey Corries, the Aonachs and up onto Ben Nevis yesterday evening. Descending at sunset, the images after the thunderstorms lately are simply stunning. Some of the support team have found themselves on the wrong side of rail and road closures through the landslides but others have stepped up, filled gaps and helped rescue the stranded. It's been interesting
This morning, with another two summits in the bag by 10.00 and a running total of 175 so far and we're early on day 20; she's right now dropping into Glen Garry to ride west towards Quoich & Knoydart.
Oh and by the way, she's officially now ahead of the record time, although with a scant 16.5hrs advantage. It's probably going to be close.
Jamiesmunrochallenge.run
Raising funds for World Bicycle Relief.
The Instagram link above from @scuttler will help give a great flavour of what's been happening.
0812, Wednesday 21st June in West Monar. Munro 242, 40 to go and heading for Torridon shortly for the summits above Coulags and Coire Lair, down to Achnashellach.. It's hard to gauge precisely but she's thought to be some hours ahead of Donnie's time and predicted to finally finish early next week with an advantage of 5-7 hours overall.
Jamie is now down from Ben Hope, so there's now only Ben Klibreck to go after a 20 mile bike ride over by Altnaharra. The finish line there is the summit cairn.
The funds raised have passed £12000, so that's 120 bikes for World Bicycle Relief.
And as for the record..? 0532 Tuesday, so she's going to take something like 12-14 hours off that.
My hat is well and truly doffed and I think there's dust in my eye already. It's been epic, for everyone involved. I was lucky enough to ride a couple of night bike transits with her last week over the Solstice and listened to her emotive description of the kayak stage across outer Loch Hourn in the dark, to get to Arnisdale and Ben Sgritheal from Ladhar bheinn. Flat calm, head torch off, voices from the beach ahead drifting out on the night air.
Thank you Jamie, it's been a privilege.
By heck....
An astonishing performance.
I was part of the support team for Rory Gibson and Andy Johnstone in 1992. The effort they put into doing the round in 51 days was immense, I can't believe what Jamie has done.
Chapeau.
Astounding effort to sustain that pace for that long.
Donnie Campbell continued with tradition yesterday by delivering a bottle of malt personally to the van, to congratulate the team on their effort. At each of the last four attempts (or more..), the previous record holder has gifted a bottle of good malt to the team as a mark of respect. That's a good tradition.
Meantime, that's them heading up the way onto Klibreck now, so 1630hrs seems like a realistic estimate for now.
Jamies Munro Challenge - geotracks.co.uk
If I had a cap I would doff it, A really remarkable achievement.
Final kilometre. She's made good time up this last one, despite the extreme sleep deprivation, muscle tiredness, feet problems. She's with a great big gang of support alongside, plus those waiting at the top for a wee celebration.
Absolutely amazing
Finished.
Unofficial time, 31 days, 10 hours, 26 minutes. So, around 13 hours faster than the previous record.
^ That is properly impressive, chuffing well done.
(Says a man who's been at them, on & off, for the thick end of 50 years... and still with about 60 left to do)
There's a piece up on the BBC News website - Jamie Aarons: Woman sets record for scaling Scotland's Munro mountains - BBC News
Astonishing effort.